A file system is a method for storing and organizing files and data. File systems use storage subsystems to maintain files and data. File systems are management structures that impose a logical structure on a storage subsystem to allow client computers to create, store and access files of data on the storage subsystem. A Distributed File System is a file system that supports sharing of files and storage resources for multiple clients over a network. A cluster file system is a type of distributed file system that allows multiple compute nodes of in a cluster to simultaneously access the same data stored on a shared storage subsystem.
A compute cluster is a system with multiple nodes that interact with each other to provide a client system(s) with data, applications, and other system resources as a single entity. Compute clusters provide scalability and reliability by allowing nodes and shared storage to be added to the cluster. File systems are used to manage storage of data within the compute cluster. Storage is allocated by a file system in a compute cluster by assignment of particular areas of storage to data to be stored. Compute nodes in cluster view a file system as a local resource with direct access to the cluster file system's shared storage subsystem.
Cloud computing is a computing model providing a client(s) with remote virtualized computing resources as a service. Cloud computing provides software and hardware resources to a client(s) by hosting and delivering resources as services remotely and on demand over a network. End-users are thereby enabled to exploit compute resources, on demand, without investment in infrastructure and management. Underlying architecture for cloud computing typically comprises large distributed clusters of servers that work in concert.